Show-case



2 SheetsSheet 1. A. MGNEILL.

(No Model.)

SHOW CASE.

NO. 386,550. Patented July 24, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. McNEILL.

SHOW GASE.

Patented July 24, 1888.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER MONEILL, OF VALLEY MILLS, TEXAS.

SHOW- CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,550, dated July24-, 1888.

Application filed October 19, 1887.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER MONEILL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Valley Mills, in the county of Bosque and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Show-Cases andMeasuring Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in showcases for displayingribbons and in dev1ces for measuring the same; and it consists in thepeculiar construction and combination of devices,that will be more fullyset forth hereinafter, and particularly described in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of theshow-case embodying my lmprovement. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewof the same,taken on the line :10 0c of Fig. 1, with the doors open.Fig. 3 is an elevation of the inner side of the show-case, partly insection, with the doors open. Fig. 4 is a detached perspective view of aportion of one of the trays, and Fig. 5 is a detail view.

A represents a show-case, which is rectangular in form, has its frontand sides preferably made of glass, and is provided on its rear sidewith a pair of folding doors, B.

0 represents a rectangular frame, which is secured in a verticalposition in the case A at a suitable distance from the front sidethereof. On the inner side of one of the vertical end bars of the saidframe is a vertical slot, D.

E represents a series of trays, each of which is semi-cylindrical inshape, as shown, is provided on its inner side near its upper edge witha horizontal longitudinal opening, F, and has a depending flange-plate,G, arranged on the outer side of the said opening and covering the same.Near the lower edge of the said flange-plate are a series of openings,H, which are adapted for the attachment of tags giving the cost-mark andselling price of the ribbons, as shown. On the upper side of the flangeplate is an elastic strap, I, the ends of which are attached to the endsof the tray. In the centers of the ends of the trays,near the upperedges thereof, are made aligned openings K, and one end of each tray isprovided on its outer side with a curved groove, L, which is concentricwith the openings K, and has notches M on its upper side. A suitablenumber of these trays are provided for the show- Serial No. 252,837. (Nomodel.)

case, and the trays are arranged between the vertical sides of the frame0, and are pivoted therein by means of screws N, which pass through theopening K and enter the opposing sides of the end bars of the framet),the said trays being arranged one above the other,- as shown, and havingtheir sides provided with the openingsF and the depending flange-platespresented to the rear side of the case.

0 represents a series of spring-actuated detents, which are arranged intheslot D, and have their lower ends provided with studs 1?,which areadapted to extend into the curved slots L on the ends of the trays andto enter either of the notches M, which communicate with the said slots,and thereby secure the trays at any desired inclination. The upper endsof the said detents are provided with handles or arms R, by means ofwhich the detents may be depressed, so as to cause the studs 1? todisengage the notches M.

S represents a hook which is adapted to en gage the inner edges of thetrays between two of the spools and fit over the elastic strap, asshown. Attached to this hook is a measuring tape or ribbon, T.

The operation of myinvention is as follows: Vhen the trays areempty,they are turned to the position indicated by the middle tray inFig. 2, so as to expose the interiors to the rear side of the case. Thespools containing the ribbons are then placed in the said trays andarranged side by side, and the free end of the ribbon on each spool ispassed under the clastic strap I on the inner upper edge of the tray inwhich it is located. The free end of the paper strip, which is coiled onthe spool with the ribbon, is passed downward through the opening F, asshown. Having arranged the spools of ribbon in the trays, the latter areturned to their normal position (indicated by the upper and lower traysin Fig. 2) by inclining them forward toward the glass front of theshowcase, and thereby exposing the ribbons to view and permitting themto be readily inspected by customers. When a sale is effected and it isnecessary to measure off a portion of the ribbon from one of the spools,the salesman engages the hook in one of the openings H under the freeend of the ribbon to be measu red. He grasps the measuring ribbon ortape with the fingers of one hand at the point indieating the desiredquantity of the ribbon, and with the fingers of the other hand he graspsthe free end of the ribbon and draws it out to the desired point on themeasuring tape or ribbon, and then cuts off the ribbon and the paperstrip at the outer end of the hook, which leaves the remainder of theribbon intact upon its spool, and does not render it necessary to removethe spool from the tray when measuring the ribbon.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a showcase fordisplaying ribbons, the pivoted trays to contain the spools of ribbon,and provided near their rear edges with-the longitudinal openings F, andthe depending flange-plates G, covering said openings and dividing theribbons from the paper strips, the paper strips of the spools passingthrough said openings and the ribbons passing over in the upper edges ofthe plates G, as set forth.

2. In a show-case for displaying ribbons, the pivoted trays adapted tobe inclined in either direction, having the openings F on one side, thedepending flanges G, arranged over the said openings, and the elasticstraps I on the upper sides of the said flanges, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the pivoted trays having the openings F, thedepending flange plates G, covering said openings and having thelongitudinal series of openings H, and the measure provided with a hookto engage the trays, as specified.

4. The combination, with a case having a glass front, of the series ofsemicircular pivoted trays within the case, and adapted when swungbackward to receive the spools of rib bons and when swung forward todisplay the same through the glass front of the case, and themeasuring-tape having a hook or catch to engage the rear side of thetray when the latter is swung backward, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of-two witnesses.

ALEXANDER MONEILL.

Witnesses:

R. MCFADDEN, J. A. SEARS.

